Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Multiple POVs, twisty, I wasn’t sure where this thriller was going!

—Amanda and Wendy are both grieving loved ones and wish for revenge. They get to talking and decide to swap murders.
—Ruth is attacked in her home while her husband Scott is out.
—Farrow is a cop with a history of solving difficult cases.

I was surprised how everything came together! This was the first book I have read by Steve Cavanagh, and it made me want to check out his other books.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This book gave me “The Kind Worth Killing” vibes and that’s a huge compliment!
I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and seeing how the stories came together for our two main protagonists. It was a fun and quick read but the last 20% of the book really drew me in and I couldn’t put it down. I was able to predict one of the twists but couldn’t have anticipated the ending.
This is my first Cavanagh book and I’m sure it won’t be my last!

Thank you to Atria, the author and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

From the first to last page, I was completely enthralled. There were unexpected twists & turns and it kept me constantly guessing. I love when I finish a chapter and feel like I can’t stop & need to know more. Thank you Net Galley for the copy of this book, it was a surprising new favorite.

This book definitely kept me on my toes while reading! The whole time I was wondering how the two different storylines would end up connecting- I just couldn't see how they could be related. I felt for our main character Ruth, because I can't imagine being attacked in my own home and then being afraid to go back, seeing the killers eyes in so many different people. And then Amanda and Wendy, who have both lost children so tragically. Little did I know I'd be going on such a wild ride from there. I loved the connections that continued through the book- from how each character met to how each victim was selected. It was all so intricately laid out. I love Steve Cavanagh's writing and can't wait to continue to pick up more of his books. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

I'm obsessed with this retelling of Strangers on a Train. I loved the twists and how the story was so much more than you're led to believe at first. Strangers on a Train is my favorite Hitchcock movie, and this rendition was modern, propulsive, and complex. Absolutely loved it!

Le sigh. This book had everything going for it, until it didn’t.

The setup was excellent. Two women meet in a bereavement group after they both lost family members to murder, and decide they can commit the perfect crime - they will seek revenge against the other person’s murderer. You kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

The chapters are short and the writing is fast-paced. Cavanagh writes an utterly readable thriller, and there were heart-pounding moments of true (literary) terror. I ripped through this novel in one day. It was utterly readable.

BUT!

I like a clean wrap-up as much as the next guy, but this was TOO clean. Unbelievably clean. Not-real-life clean. And, as I told a friend who warned me about this, I am okay with suspending my disbelief while reading. But this? It’s too much.

It was good, but the ending took this from a four star book to a three star one.

Onto the next!

MmMmMm this was a goodie. I’ll admit it took me a little bit to get into the story and I was wondering how all these POVs would connect, but when they did… I’LL BE DAMNED. I really couldn’t connect anything myself so I was shooketh when everything was put together. The ending tied everything together and I was happy with how everything played out!

This was only my second Steve Cavanagh book, but I really need to be reading more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC.

<i>Kill for Me, Kill for You</i> is an ethical dilemma throughout. The title holds no surprises but the story is filled with twists and unexpected turns. I do remember thinking "Ok! I didn't expect that."
When two grieving people meet at a support group and their plan involves revenge hoping it will heal them rather than working on healing themselves directly, you know this is going to be a wild ride. There are some crazy moments in this book, when you sit back and think - are they really doing this. It's easily excused by the fact that these people have been damaged. But to what extent will you exact revenge on someone you think is the bad guy, but might not actually be the person you thought they were.
As much as it's great to be surprised by this book, there were also times that I rolled by eyes in frustration. Can I even go as far as asking if this could be considered <i>Strangers on a Train</i> fan fiction? The book is referenced multiple times throughout as if it's admitting that it isn't an original theme.

This was really well-plotted and a great read, compelling and kept me turning pages. It also made me think long and hard about those age-old questions: is there anything you wouldn't do for your kids? and what would I be willing to do in the name of justice?

This book is getting really rave reviews. And I totally get why. However, it took me about halfway through to get invested and feel like this wasn't a book I haven't read 100 times before.

We've all read the book where you meet a relative stranger and agree to kill for them if they kill for you - the seemingly perfect crime. I liked that this novel deviated from this path about halfway through, but I needed it to happen sooner.

At the halfway point, this novel became totally gripping. Edge of my seat, 'what the heck is going on?', can't flip the pages fast enough. I couldn't trust anyone, started questioning the littlest plot points, and was totally swept up in the ride kind of gripping. And this is why people are totally loving this book!

There were times when this book was really hard to read. There are some serious trigger warnings with child death and other abuse and horrors committed against children. While there weren't necessarily graphic details, as a mom, I struggled at times. This did help me empathize with the characters and while there was certainly some suspension of belief, a wronged parent will go to great lengths to avenge their child.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and definitely recommend. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the copy.

This was so good!

Thrillers and I haven’t been seeing eye to eye lately - mostly because I have that toxic trait where I try to figure everything out instead of just enjoying the ride. I expected Kill for Me, Kill for You to just be another Strangers on a Train retelling, but this was not just that. This book was full of twists, some of which I saw coming, but many I did not. You will truly be kept guessing all the way through. We follow quite a few POVs, but each character’s voice was unique enough that I had no problem keeping up, and having all of those voices really added to the story.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for a review copy. If you’re looking for a good thriller that will hook you from beginning to end definitely pick this one up!

Two women, attending a grief counseling group, become friends and bond over the murder of their children. They agree to exact revenge on the guilty parties. It seemed predictable, until it wasn't. Kept me guessing with the shift in narrative. Good suspense thriller.

Absolutely love Steve Cavanaugh! His books always hit the spot. This book kept me guessing, and I did not see most of the plot twist coming. Any fans of thriller books will throughly enjoy this book!!

Creative, thought provoking, horrifying, real and tense. Great twists and surprises. Quick read - clear the day!
Told in multiple narratives, this book showcases grief and loss, recovery and the challenge of how do you move on.
Amanda - her 6 yo daughter was taken, tortured and killed; her husband killed himself shortly after from the guilt; the police were unable to convict the suspect. She spends her days stalking him, determined to kill him for the justice denied her and her family.
Ruth - a woman attacked in her home, struggling with fear and agoraphobia; desperate for resolution.
Farrow - a dedicated detective, obsessed with solving cold cases and those too challenging

THIS. BOOK.
WOW it’s been a while since I’ve had a thriller completely captivate me from beginning to end but this one was so unique and action packed. Trust me when I say, when you think you have this one figured out - you don’t! I truly couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!

This was heading towards a higher rating until the climax. I simply didn't buy it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, though. Very good book. I'll definitely read more by this author.

Wowowow now that’s how you write a thriller! I was hooked from the start and truly loved this one- pacing was great and several good twists. Highly recommend.

I've read one book from this author before and they definitely know how keep the pace and dialogue going well. Even though the plot twists weren't surprising, it was still entertaining overall. I can see this being turned into a limited series for Hulu or Prime.


Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a copy for an honest review.

Aha!!!! This was AWESOME!!!! #killformekillforyou by @sscav - a true 5 star thriller !!! In this story you’ll find multiple POVs - all of them survivors of horrific crimes who are so ruined by their losses that they want to seek revenge. In the worst way! So when Amanda finally goes to that group support meeting and meets someone as keen on revenge as she is, and she says, let’s swap targets, I’ll kill for you & you kill for me. Riiiight? But there’s some BS going on here as there are several characters that are not quite who they present themselves to be. This story ended in a shockingly satisfying way, for my fav POV Amanda, and I M not ashamed to say I CAN DIG IT.
I especially enjoyed the twists at the end and will never forget them! I highly recommend you pick this book up asap!!! I even read this from my (gasp) kindle (as my wall of physical books glared at me/just bc they can’t glow in the dark isn’t my problemmm/isss sorta my problem) and I haven’t read a full ebook in a while!!!! Many thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for access to this fantastic read! It was just released a few weeks ago and is available now!

Oh. My. Word! Cavanagh is a master in his craft, and every book I read just gets better!!

I was immediately intrigued with the premise of two grieving women plotting to kill someone for eachother, and with the side story of Ruth being attacked in her home at night, I was dying to figure out how the story lines tied together. This book was twisty, and just a really fun read that absolutely blew my mind up until the very end. This is an easy 5 stars, and one of my favorite thrillers so far this year!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!